IDF verwijdert wegversperringen als 'beloning'

Een goed voorbeeld van hoe samenwerking met Israël de Palestijnen zelf ten goede komt. Door het verwijderen van roadblocks bij dorpen afhankelijk te maken van Palestijnse actie tegen geweldplegers uit die dorpen tegen Israëli's, is het in hun eigen belang actie te ondernemen, wat ook gebeurde.

Dit werkt wellicht beter dan wanneer Israël onder Amerikaanse druk checkpoints verwijdert, en de Palestijnen vervolgens (onder Amerikaanse druk) beloven wat aan het terrorisme te doen.

 

Ratna

----------

Army to remove roadblocks as 'reward'

 

Jun. 17, 2008

Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1212659758673&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

 

The Civil Administration in the West Bank has negotiated a deal with a number of Palestinian villages in the Kalkilya region in which dirt roadblocks cutting off their access to nearby cities and roads would be lifted in exchange for the cessation of local terror activity, a senior IDF commander told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

The deal so far includes the villages of Azun and Marda, both - until recently - hotbeds of Palestinian terror activity. The ongoing negotiations will mainly involve the areas along Highway 5, which connects Tel Aviv with the settlement of Ariel, and Road 55, which runs from Kfar Saba to Nablus.

Over the past year, residents of Azun and Marda have been responsible for over 25 monthly attacks along the two roads involving stone throwing and Molotov cocktails. In November, 29-year-old Ido Zoldan was gunned down on Road 55 near the Palestinian village of al-Punduk. A few months ago, an IDF soldier was wounded when he was shot by terrorists as he stood at a hitchhiking post on Highway 5 outside Ariel.

IDF troops regularly raided the villages and while they succeeded in minimizing attacks, it came at the cost of disrupting the lives of the 15,000 people living there.
"Each time the troops entered the villages, shops would close down and schools would be disrupted," said Lt.-Col. Samir Amar, commander of the IDF's Coordination and Liaison Administration in the Kalkilya region.

Amar met with the elders in the villages and convinced them it was in their interest to crack down on the youths behind the attacks. The IDF also decided to permit the deployment of some 20 armed Palestinian Authority policemen inside the villages to prevent additional attacks.

"We told them that if they stopped the attacks we would ease restrictions on the villages," Amar said Tuesday from outside the village of Azun, located on Road 55. "Since then, there has not been a single incident in the past month and a half."

Following the crackdown in the village, the IDF removed three dirt roadblocks allowing villages to reach Kalkilya within 10 minutes, as opposed to the 45 minutes it took before.

De vergeten vluchtelingen van Israël

Zijn er meer verschillen of meer overeenkomsten tussen de Joodse en de Palestijnse vluchtelingen?

De groepen zijn van vergelijkbare omvang. Beiden vluchtten voor een deel zelf en werden voor een deel met dwang het land uitgezet dat hun thuis was geweest. Van beide groepen wordt door propagandisten van de tegenpartij vaak ontkend dat ze verdreven werden of gesteld dat ze door hun eigen 'volksgenoten' werden aangespoord hun land te verlaten. De Joodse vluchtelingen uit de Arabische wereld worden echter vooral genegeerd door de buitenwereld. Dat gaat bij hen wat makkelijker, omdat Israël en andere - vooral Westerse - landen hen de kans boden een nieuwe toekomst op te bouwen, terwijl de Palestijnse vluchtelingen van hun Arabische 'gastheren' al 60 jaar mogen wegkwijnen in hun UNRWA-kampen.

 

De Palestijnse vluchtelingen leken lange tijd een vergeten groep te worden, maar de Joodse vluchtelingen zijn daadwerkelijk vergeten. Als ze al ter sprake komen, wordt vaak slordig met de feiten omgesprongen. Zelfs Ynet schrijft hieronder: "about 850,000 Jews left Arab countries in 1948". Dat klopt uiteraard niet. De vlucht van de Joden uit de Arabische wereld vond plaats over een periode van enkele decennia. Veel Arabische landen hanteerden zelfs een emigratieverbod voor Joden, zodat zij met en met het land uitgesmokkeld moesten worden. Becijferd is dat zij samen grondbezit moesten achterlaten dat 4x de omvang van Israël is.

 

Wouter

____________

The forgotten refugees

 

Jewish refugees from Arab states just as important as Palestinian refugees

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3553189,00.html

Uzi Arad

Ynet - Published: 06.08.08, 22:04

 

As Israel and the Palestinians negotiate the principles of a final-status agreement, while looking into mechanisms that would resolve the Palestinian refugee problem, it is important to call their attention to the refugees who have been ignored – the Jews who left Arab countries just before and just after 1948.

 

While the Palestinian refugee problem has been granted preferential treatment compared to any other refugees, it appears that the question of Jewish refugees has been forgotten. The issue has been dealt with mainly by NGOs such as the Justice for Jews of Arab Countries (JJAC) and Jewish leaders such as Irwin Cotler.

 

According to JJAC figures, about 850,000 Jews left Arab countries in 1948 – slightly more than the estimated number of Palestinians who left the Land of Israel. It is noteworthy that Jewish communities existed in Arab countries for hundreds of years, including some that preceded the Muslim occupation, following which the Jews along with the Christians were considered "second class citizens."

 

In the 20th Century, the civil rights of Jewish communities were curbed. The Jews were subjected to confiscation of property, discrimination, pogroms, abuse on the part of authorities, and at times even executions. As a result, more than a million Jews left Arab countries since Israel's establishment. According to estimates, only about 5,000 Jews remain in Arab countries today.

 

The Palestinian refugee problem has enjoyed great international attention: Out of 681 UN resolutions pertaining to the Middle Eastern conflict, about 101 pertain to Palestinian refugees, and immense international funds were invested in supporting them. At the same time, even though the question of Jews who left Arab countries was granted legal and political status (on two opportunities, the UN High Commission for Refugees confirmed that Jews who left Arab states following 1948 are refugees who deserve UN assistance) the issue was not promoted in practice.

 

Principle of reciprocity

 

Jewish refugees received indirect formal expression in agreements and treaties where the issue of refugees is expressed using language that implies parallelism, without explicitly noting whether a refugee is Palestinian or Jewish. This is how the issue was worded in Resolution 242, in the peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, in the Oslo Accords, and in the understandings of the Madrid Conference.

 

Until today, Israeli government elements have not given operative weight to the issue. Indeed, in the framework of the Netanyahu government's preparations for final-status talks, the principles of parallelism and reciprocity were drafted in a manner that would condition progress on the Palestinian refugee issue on parallel progress with respect to Jewish refugees.

 

President Clinton accepted this outline and it appeared that the Barak government was willing to adopt it, yet according to testaments by JJAC members and others, the last two governments neglected the issue and refrained from placing it on the operative agenda.

 

Now, in order to close the gap, it is essential to act on two fronts: Firstly, on the legal-principled level – entrench the issue as a permanent element in any framework and agreement, in a similar manner to the way this is done with Palestinian refugees. Secondly, on the practical level – apply the principal of reciprocity, according to which there will be no progress on the issue of Palestinian refugees without progress on the issue of Jewish refugees.

 

Only such condition would grant the issue the leverage needed to place it on the agenda and to stimulate it. This explains the significance of legislation adopted in April by the US Congress – which obligates the Administration – according to which any explicit reference to Palestinian refugees must be accompanied by a similar explicit reference to the Jewish refugees.

 

It would be appropriate for the Israeli Knesset not to trail behind the US Congress and pose a similar demand. However, the issue obliges the Israeli government even more so, and it must not leave it up to organizations and Jewish leaders in the Diaspora.

 

Dr. Mamoun Fandy over de fouten van Palestijnen en Arabieren

MEMRI vertaalt niet alleen radikale Arabische teksten, waarin Israël en de Joden van de meest verschrikkelijke misdaden en complotten worden beschuldigd, maar ook kritiek door liberale Arabieren.

 

---------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

MEMRI

Special Dispatch Series - No. 1952

 

June 8, 2008    No. 1952

_______________________________________________

 

Arab Liberal Dr. Mamoun Fandy: The Palestinians Have Chosen the Model Of Tora Bora Over That of Singapore

In an article published April 21, 2008 in the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, well-known researcher, writer, author, and columnist Dr. Mamoun Fandy wrote that the Palestinians must proceed from revolution to state-building, demonstrating that they are capable of building a prosperous state which will contribute to the stability of the region. [1]

The following are excerpts from the article:

"When Will the Palestinians Advance From the 'Adolescence' of Revolution to the 'Maturity' of Statehood?... [Will the] Palestinian State... Strengthen, Rather Than Weaken, Regional Security?"

"Sixty years have passed since the Palestinian Nakba [catastrophe]… and I would like to pose two questions to the divided Palestinian leadership, [i.e.] to the Palestinian Authority, represented by President Mahmoud 'Abbas, and to the Hamas leadership, represented by Ismail Haniyya and Khaled Mash'al.

"The first question is: When will the Palestinians advance from the 'adolescence' of revolution to the 'maturity' of statehood? The second question is: Given that there is an intent to establish a Palestinian state in the region, can the Palestinians assure the international community, and in particular their neighbors, that the Palestinian state will strengthen, rather than weaken, regional security?...

"The object of the first question is to give the international community an idea to what extent the Palestinians are capable of managing their affairs independently; to what extent the Palestinian leadership is committed to its people, their aspirations and demands; and whether, like most governments around the world, it can ensure that its people live in dignity.

"Gaza Is a Seaport of Diminutive Proportions, Akin to Singapore Or Bahrain... Yet the Palestinians Have Chosen the Model of Tora Bora!"

Today, the international community has great doubts regarding the Palestinians' ability to advance from the 'adolescence' of revolution to the 'maturity' of state. The most clear-cut example of this is Gaza, which has presented a complicated and steadily growing problem. I am not speaking of the Hamas's coup or even of the futile killing, but only of the appalling mismanagement of its affairs.

"Gaza is a seaport of diminutive proportions, akin to Singapore or Bahrain. Small though it is, Singapore has become one of the most important [states] in Asia - owing to a wise government, which runs its affairs with perspicacity. Similarly, Bahrain has ties and alliances with the most prominent world powers…

"Yet, instead of adopting Singapore as a model, the Palestinians have chosen the model of Tora Bora! They have transformed Gaza into part of Afghanistan, with its extremist Islamists, weapons, and missiles.

"The main reason that the Palestinian leadership in Gaza has failed is that it is still in the 'adolescent' revolutionary stage, and is not acting as someone faced with the task of [establishing] a state capable of managing its people's affairs. It is this adolescence [of revolution] that accounts for [Hamas's] attempt to breach the Egyptian border and drives it to fire rockets [at Israel] every now and then. [And] it is the ordinary people who are paying the price - [i.e.] Gaza residents, who are fed up with the siege and with hunger.

"Israel should be condemned for imposing a siege on Gaza. [To be sure,] no one thinks of absolving Israel of responsibility. But considering that Israel has a well-equipped army - did Hamas really anticipate that Israel would send it flowers in return for rockets?

"Egypt must be condemned for closing its borders, as is the custom of all other countries. However, Hamas leadership expects to avoid all condemnation; the important thing [in their eyes] is that Ismail Haniyya remain the leader in Gaza, even if all its residents are exterminated…"

In the Arab World, "Human Life is Not Important; What Counts Is That the Leaders Survive"

"As long as Haniyya is in charge - Gaza is on a winning streak. [Indeed,] presenting defeat as victory is not unique to the Palestinians. In this way, the June 1967 fiasco was not conceived of as defeat, since Gamal 'Abd Al-Nasser remained president [of Egypt] after the war; Saddam [Hussein's] setbacks were not regarded as defeat either, since Saddam remained president of Iraq; nor was Lebanon's downfall regarded as defeat - [despite] the complete destruction of its infrastructure - since Hassan Nasrallah continued as leader of the uprising. [It seems that] human life is not important; what counts is that the leaders survive.

"The second question is whether the new Palestinian state is capable of strengthening regional security or whether it will become a source of threat and disrupt the security equilibrium. This is another criterion for assessing the Palestinian leadership's ability to assure its Arab and non-Arab neighbors that the new state will be the basis for reconstruction rather than destruction, stability rather than [disruption], economic welfare rather than poverty.

"One could say that, from 1996 until the beginning of the 2000 intifada, the PA had begun acting as a state, although it did make a few mistakes. Those in Fatah who made the revolutionary step of moving towards the 'maturity' of the Palestinian Authority have made an important qualitative leap, which history will count in their favor. [Indeed,] they initiated the PA into the rites of maturity, and took part in the negotiations in Oslo, Washington, Taba etc."

In 2000, "Instead Of Declaring A State, [The Palestinian Leadership] Decided to Declare A Revolution... the Palestinian Security Apparatuses Joined the Resistance as Factions... [Thus]... Relinquish[ing] Their Role in Building the State [And] Undermining the Trust of the International Community"

"The Palestinian leadership committed a major error in the beginning of 2000, when it refused to accept the outcome of the negotiations with U.S. President Bill Clinton, who nearly gave them a state in return for certain concessions. At the time, the Palestinian leadership refused to agree to these concessions out of fear that, otherwise, it might find itself up against the [Palestinian] people.

"Instead of declaring a state, it decided to declare a revolution. The Palestinian security apparatuses joined the resistance as factions - in other words, they reverted to the 'adolescence' of revolution. By joining the resistance, the security apparatuses relinquished their role in building the state, thereby undermining the trust of the international community, and the trust of its patron countries. Never again would the Egyptians, Americans, Europeans, and Israelis believe that the Palestinian leadership was truly capable of advancing from the 'adolescence' of revolution to the 'maturity' of state…

"The only solution left to the Palestinians, including Hamas, is to rebuild their institutions in accordance with the maturity of state rather than with the adolescence of revolution, thereby contributing to the stability of the region, rather than to its destruction.

"This is [how they should proceed]:

"First - [they must] search for new leaders, who are trusted both inside and outside the country, and in doing so they must apply as criteria, not the ideology of revolution, but that of statehood. [Moreover,] Hamas must come to terms with the fact that it is a political party, and act accordingly. [So far] Hamas's radical conduct has indicated that it is incapable of acting as a party - rather, it has been behaving like a militia...

"Fatah [C]ould Be Like the U.S. Democrats, and Hamas Like the Republicans; Alternatively, Fatah and Hamas [C]ould Be Like the Conservatives and Labor in Great Britain"

"If Hamas is incapable of acting maturely, as befits a [ruling] political party, the Palestinian political process could be modeled after the veteran democracies. Thus, Fatah would be like the U.S. Democrats, and Hamas like the Republicans; alternatively, Fatah and Hamas would be like the Conservatives and Labor in Great Britain. Furthermore, the Palestinians should hold new elections in order to form a new leadership. These elections must be free and unhampered by fear - since freedom of choice is the foundation of a free society.

"If the Palestinians cannot elect new leaders who can demonstrate to the international community that they believe in the maturity of state rather than in the adolescence of revolution, and, moreover, [that they believe] in a Palestinian state that can strengthen the stability of the region instead of contributing to its decline and destruction… if the Palestinians cannot rise up to this great challenge, we may be facing another 60 years of Nakba."

---

[1] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), April 21, 2008.

 

Mensen versus dinosaurussen: de toekomst van Israël (en Iran)

Een optimistisch artikel, vanuit economisch perspectief.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/opinion/08friedman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

June 8, 2008

Op-Ed Columnist

People vs. Dinosaurs

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Tefen Industrial Park, Israel

 

Question: What do America's premier investor, Warren Buffett, and Iran's toxic president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have in common? Answer: They've both made a bet about Israel's future.

Ahmadinejad declared on Monday that Israel "has reached its final phase and will soon be wiped out from the geographic scene."

By coincidence, I heard the Iranian leader's statement on Israel Radio just as I was leaving the headquarters of Iscar, Israel's famous precision tool company, headquartered in the Western Galilee, near the Lebanon border. Iscar is known for many things, most of all for being the first enterprise that Buffett bought overseas for his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway.

Buffett paid $4 billion for 80 percent of Iscar and the deal just happened to close a few days before Hezbollah, a key part of Iran's holding company, attacked Israel in July 2006, triggering a monthlong war. I asked Iscar's chairman, Eitan Wertheimer, what was Buffett's reaction when he found out that he had just paid $4 billion for an Israeli company and a few days later Hezbollah rockets were landing outside its parking lot.

Buffett just brushed it off with a wave, recalled Wertheimer: "He said, 'I'm not interested in the next quarter. I'm interested in the next 20 years.' " Wertheimer repaid that confidence by telling half his employees to stay home during the war and using the other half to keep the factory from not missing a day of work and setting a production record for the month. It helps when many of your "employees" are robots that move around the buildings, beeping humans out of the way.

So who would you put your money on? Buffett or Ahmadinejad? I'd short Ahmadinejad and go long Warren Buffett.

Why? From outside, Israel looks as if it's in turmoil, largely because the entire political leadership seems to be under investigation. But Israel is a weak state with a strong civil society. The economy is exploding from the bottom up. Israel's currency, the shekel, has appreciated nearly 30 percent against the dollar since the start of 2007.

The reason? Israel is a country that is hard-wired to compete in a flat world. It has a population drawn from 100 different countries, speaking 100 different languages, with a business culture that strongly encourages individual imagination and adaptation and where being a nonconformist is the norm. While you were sleeping, Israel has gone from oranges to software, or as they say around here, from Jaffa to Java.

The day I visited the Iscar campus, one of its theaters was filled with industrialists from the Czech Republic, who were getting a lecture - in Czech - from Iscar experts. The Czechs came all the way to the Israel-Lebanon border region to learn about the latest innovations in precision tool-making. Wertheimer is famous for staying close to his customers and the latest technologies. "If you sleep on the floor," he likes to say, "you never have to worry about falling out of bed."

That kind of hunger explains why, in the first quarter of 2008, the top four economies after America in attracting venture capital for start-ups were: Europe $1.53 billion, China $719 million, Israel $572 million and India $99 million, according to Dow Jones VentureSource. Israel, with 7 million people, attracted almost as much as China, with 1.3 billion.

Boaz Golany, who heads engineering at the Technion, Israel's M.I.T., told me: "In the last eight months, we have had delegations from I.B.M., General Motors, Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart visiting our campus. They are all looking to develop R & D centers in Israel."

Ahmadinejad professes not to care about such things. He was - to put it in American baseball terms - born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. Because oil prices have gone up to nearly $140 a barrel, he feels relaxed predicting that Israel will disappear, while Iran maintains a welfare state - with more than 10 percent unemployment.

Iran has invented nothing of importance since the Islamic Revolution, which is a shame. Historically, Iranians have been a dynamic and inventive people - one only need look at the richness of Persian civilization to see that. But the Islamic regime there today does not trust its people and will not empower them as individuals.

Of course, oil wealth can buy all the software and nuclear technology you want, or can't develop yourself. This is not an argument that we shouldn't worry about Iran. Ahmadinejad should, though.

Iran's economic and military clout today is largely dependent on extracting oil from the ground. Israel's economic and military power today is entirely dependent on extracting intelligence from its people. Israel's economic power is endlessly renewable. Iran's is a dwindling resource based on fossil fuels made from dead dinosaurs.

So who will be here in 20 years? I'm with Buffett: I'll bet on the people who bet on their people - not the people who bet on dead dinosaurs.

 

Syrië herwint legitimiteit gratis

 

Niet alleen anti-Syrische mensen in Israël, maar ook een belangrijke VN functionaris wijst erop dat de indirecte onderhandelingen tussen Israël en Syrië vooral Syrië veel voordeel opleveren, voordat het ook maar de kleinste concessie heeft gedaan. Terwijl de steun (en wapensmokkel) aan Hezbollah gewoon doorgaat en terwijl men de banden op defensiegebied met Iran recentelijk nog eens goed heeft aangehaald, lijkt aan de isolatie door Europa een einde te zijn gekomen. Waarom Europa niet met het belonen van Syrië wacht totdat er concrete resultaten bekend zijn, en Syrië op zijn minst bereid is openlijk met Israël om de tafel te zitten, is me niet duidelijk. Waarom men Libanon zo in de steek laat, en Syrische en Iraanse invloed via Hezbollah geen stroobreed in de weg legt, is me ook een raadsel. Het zal wel met 'Realpolitik' te maken hebben.

 

Ratna

----------------

Last update - 08:46 17/06/2008

UN envoy: Israel has given Syria a 'huge gift' for free

 

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/993333.html

 

 

A senior United Nations official has harshly criticized Israel's indirect negotiations with Syria, whose second round ended yesterday, charging that "Israel has given Syria a huge gift, without thus far receiving anything in exchange."

 

Terje Roed-Larsen, the UN secretary-general's special envoy for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559, made the comments last week in a conversation with Israeli diplomats.

 

In a classified telegram to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, Israel's UN delegation wrote that Larsen had complained that "Syria is receiving legitimacy for free."

 

"Europe is courting the Syrians because of the negotiations with Israel, and they are no longer being asked to give anything in exchange," the telegram quoted Larsen as saying.

 

Larsen is considered one of the UN's leading experts on Middle Eastern affairs, and especially on Syrian and Lebanese issues. However, he has an extremely negative view of Syrian President Bashar Assad, due to Assad's meddling in Lebanon in general and his suspected involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in particular.

 

The key element of the resolution Roed-Larsen is charged with overseeing, which was adopted in 2004, was a demand that Syrian forces exit Lebanon, though the text also urges the dismantling of all Lebanese militias.

 

Nor is Larsen the only international player to express reservations about the Israeli-Syrian talks: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said recently that it was more important right now to focus on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. It is not clear whether Rice reiterated this comment to Israeli officials in her talks with them earlier this week.

 

The second round of talks lasted two days. Once again, the parties refrained from talking directly; rather, Turkish mediators ferried messages back and forth.

 

According to a senior Israeli official, the session ended with an agreement to continue the discussions intensively, and dates were set for two more meetings over the next few weeks. These sessions, like their predecessors, will take place in Turkey, but the Turks are keen to keep the exact location secret. It is still not known whether the latest round took place in Ankara or Istanbul.

 

Israel's representatives at the talks, Yoram Turbowicz and Shalom Turgeman, told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the atmosphere was positive and constructive. Turkish officials echoed this assessment.

 

From Turkey, Turbowicz and Turgeman preceded to France to discuss an upcoming trip to Israel by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the summit Sarkozy will host next month on his plan to establish a union of Mediterranean countries. Assad and Olmert are both among the 47 leaders who received invitations, and an Israeli official told Reuters that Sarkozy is trying to arrange a meeting between them. However, Jerusalem considers it highly unlikely that Assad will agree.

*** Balanced Middle East News ***
MidEastweb http://www.mideastweb.org
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Je hoeft niet in God te geloven om Joods te zijn

Lang niet alle Joden zijn religieus, en de Joodse cultuur en feestdagen hebben niet alleen een religieus, maar ook een nationaal karakter. De identiteit en geschiedenis van het Joodse volk staat centraal, niet het vereren van een hogere macht. Daarom kan een atheist prima Joods zijn en dit ook actief vormgeven. Toch lijkt een seculier-Joodse levensstijl buiten Israël lastig, en vraag ik me af of een campagne daarop gericht veel zin heeft. De Joodse gemeenschap heeft twee millennia overleefd zonder eigen staat met de religie als bindmiddel. Een seculiere Joodse identiteit heeft de 'steun' van een nationaal verband en organisatie nodig, net als andere nationale identiteiten.

 

Ratna

------------

You don't have to believe in God to be Jewish

Jun. 15, 2008
nigel kersh , THE JERUSALEM POST

Q: You call yourself an atheistic Jew. Is that not a contradiction in terms?

A: No, I don't believe it is. I define my Jewishness in terms of culture, not in terms of religion. Judaism for me is like a pizza pie. One part of the pie is the Hebrew language. Another piece is Jewish festivals. Yet another is Jewish food. Another is Jewish history. Then there is Israel - a large piece of that pie. Jewish jokes, Jewish music, Jewish literature and philosophy, the Bible. The only piece of that pie that I cannot swallow is the concept of a Jewish god.

Q: The Bible? But I thought you said you were an atheist? How can the Bible be part of your culture?

A: Of course it is! Aren't Jews the People of the Book? The Bible is the most important piece of literature in the entire history of the Jewish people! But to me, that's all it is, a work of literature. There is little evidence that the majority of the biblical characters ever existed, their names probably the result of eponymous fables blended with the ancient history of nomadic peoples.

Q: You say that all the Bible is to you is just a piece of literature. What do you mean by that?

A: The Bible is supposed to tell us the history of the Jewish people, but in reality it's more legend than fact. For example, there is virtually no evidence that biblical King David attained those triumphs attributed to him, if he ever lived at all. No comparative history exists to confirm that he and the majority of the biblical cast actually existed.

Q: Returning to your statement that you consider yourself a cultural rather than a religious Jew. How exactly do you manifest your Judaism without resorting to religion?

A: Judaism cannot exist without a belief in God. Why follow the mitzvot unless you're commanded by Him? Why pray unless you believe there's someone up there listening? I express my Jewishness by living in Israel, celebrating Jewish holidays with my family in a secular fashion without worshiping any supernatural being. I raise my children to believe in humankind, teaching them that Man's fate lies in his own hands.

Q: So how exactly do you celebrate Jewish festivals without the traditional prayers, ceremonies, and rituals?

A: Good question, but it's amazing what you can do with a little imagination. For example, at Pessah, we follow a non-theistic service devised by the Machar humanistic Jewish congregation in Washington, DC. We discuss the legend of the Israelites liberation from slavery and tie this in with modern equivalents like poverty, war, and racism. We also build our succa at Succot and light the menora at Hanukka. We burn bonfires on Lag Ba'omer and dress up at Purim. Our participation in these events confirms our attachment to the Jewish people - one which is in no way at odds with my personal atheism. The simple fact is you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish.

Q: You say you have a "message to deliver." What exactly do you mean by that?

A: My hometown of Glasgow, Scotland currently contains around 3,000 Jews, an 80% drop from its high of yesteryear. Demographic experts inform us that the world Jewish population will fall further leaving two concentrations of Jews - in Israel and the USA. The Glasgow Jewish community's solution to combat the Jewish decline is Kollel, Lubavitch, and Limmud. Their answer to combat Jewish youth's move away from religion is to offer them more religion! It isn't working and it's doomed in the long term.

Q: What is your solution to the problem of Jewish assimilation?

A: Being Jewish means more than going to shul on Shabbat. Being Jewish means learning Hebrew, studying Jewish history, and discussing Jewish literature. It means supporting Israel in the Eurovision and laughing at Jackie Mason on stage. This rich, cultural tapestry can be reclaimed by those Jews disillusioned by the religious model. Secular Jewishness represents a lifeline to those Jews on the periphery of the Jewish world. Without it, the decline in the world's Jewish population will continue, completing the legacy of two millennia of anti-Semitism. Israel should lead this campaign, sending emissaries into the Diaspora communities, promoting a secular Jewish rallying call to disenchanted Jews.

Q: And who is going to pay for such an ambitious campaign?

A: That's simple. We know aliya promotion isn't working, so I would divert those funds to stimulate a secular Jewish revival in the Diaspora. It's a tall order, but what was it that Herzl said about wills and ways…?

 

The writer is a professional karate teacher and technical writer who lives in Ra'anana in central Israel with his wife and three children.

nckersh@013.net

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1212659738489&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

Israël accordeert bouw 1300 woningen in Oost-Jeruzalem

De media besteden uitgebreid aandacht aan Israëls besluit om 1300 woningen in Oost Jeruzalem te bouwen. Hoewel je vraagtekens kunt zetten bij de wijsheid van dit besluit, is het vrij absurd dit als het grootste obstakel in de vredesbesprekingen te zien. Ten eerste is er een verschil tussen bouwen in Jeruzalem en op de Westoever: terwijl Israël heeft ingestemd met een bevriezing van de bouw van huizen op de Westoever, beschouwt men de Joodse wijken van Jeruzalem als deel van Israël dat ook na een vredesverdrag bij Israël zal blijven horen. Er is bovendien simpelweg woningnood in Jeruzalem, die binnen de Groene Lijn moeilijk op te lossen is. West Jeruzalem is daarbinnen immers een smalle strook die aan 3 kanten wordt omringd door de Westoever. Voor Israël heeft de Groene Lijn weinig betekenis in Jeruzalem omdat de Klaagmuur, Joodse wijk in de Oude stad, de Olijfberg en andere voor Joden belangrijke en historische plaatsen aan de Arabische kant ervan liggen. Toen Jordanië dit deel van Jeruzalem (illegaal) onder controle had, heeft het bijna alle synagoges vernietigd en was het verboden voor Joden om naar de Klaagmuur te gaan. Het is daarom een beetje vreemd dat Jeruzalem ten oosten van de Groene Lijn 'Arabisch' en 'door Israël bezet' wordt genoemd door de meeste politici en journalisten.

 

Grotere obstakels in de vredesbesprekingen zijn de Gazastrook en de dreigende verzoening van Hamas en Fatah (zonder noemenswaardige concessies van Hamas), de voortdurende rakettenregen op Sderot en omgeving, de Palestijnse eis dat alle vluchtelingen en hun nakomelingen moeten kunnen terugkeren, en het feit dat wekelijks explosieven worden gevonden bij de checkpoints en aanslagen verijdeld, zodat opheffen ervan en Palestijnse soevereiniteit op delen van de Westoever op dit moment simpelweg niet mogelijk zijn. Israël moet er wel voor zorgen dat fricties en oponthoud bij de checkpoints zoveel mogelijk worden beperkt, en waarom de buitenposten nog niet zijn ontruimd - die ook volgens de Israëlische wet illegaal zijn en waar maar een handvol mensen wonen - vind ik moeilijk te begrijpen en al helemaal niet goed te praten.

 

Ratna

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Gov't approves e. J'lem housing project

 

Jun. 15, 2008

Etgar Lefkovits , THE JERUSALEM POST
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A Jerusalem Municipality plan to build tens of thousands of new apartments in the city, including a couple thousand flats in various Jewish neighborhoods of east Jerusalem, has received final approval, the municipality said Sunday.

The announcement came just as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during her latest peace mission in Israel, was again pressing Israel to cease all construction in east Jerusalem, saying the building was having a "negative effect" on peace talks.

The building proposal, which won city approval earlier this year, has been authorized by the Interior Ministry's National Planning and Building Committee, Jerusalem Municipality spokesman Gidi Schmerling said.

The proposed construction is part of a long-term city building plan which will see the construction of nearly 40,000 new apartments throughout the city over the next decade, including in the east Jerusalem neighborhoods of Gilo Ramot, Har Homa and Ramat Shlomo - areas that Israel built after the Six Day War; they are located within the city's expanded municipal lines, but were never recognized by the international community.

The proposal will also see construction for Arabs in Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem, such as Issawiya and A-Tur.

Israel differentiates between construction in east Jerusalem and building in the West Bank, but the international community does not, and views both as settlements.
"Unfortunately, I do believe, and the United States believes, that the actions and the announcements that are taking place are indeed having a negative effect on the atmosphere for the negotiation - and that is not what we want," Rice said after meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on her sixth trip to the region this year.

Rice said Israeli construction would not predetermine the future borders of a Palestinian state.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said building in east Jerusalem is "not in the same status" as building in the West Bank.

"It's clear to everyone that the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem will remain part of Israel in any possible final status agreement," Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said. "Building inside those Jewish neighborhoods in no way contradicts our commitment to move forward in the peace process," he said.

Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski said in a statement Sunday that Jerusalem is not a settlement, and that construction would continue throughout the city in an effort encourage young Israelis to live in the city.

The city's building plan was approved just five month before the city's slated mayoral elections.

Jerusalem opposition leader Nir Barkat, who is running against Lupolianski, has led a public campaign against the government's proposed division of the city, and Lupolianski has been eager to show right-wing voters that he is no less hawkish on the issue than his opponent.

The building plan also comes at a time of a severe housing crunch in Jerusalem. The dearth of space in the city to build, combined with the increasing number of holiday flats being bought by foreigners in luxury projects in central Jerusalem at prices Israelis cannot afford, and a freeze on a decades-old major construction plan for the area between Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim due to American opposition, have all contributed to the crippling housing crunch in the city.

"The committee emphasized the importance of finding areas to build residential housing in Jerusalem, both to answer the needs of the population, and in order to absorb new population," the Interior Ministry said in a press release.

Many of the building projects listed as part of the city's decade-long master plan had already been approved by the government, or were in various stages of being authorized.

Last week, Israel announced it would build 1,300 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo. The announcement brought to more than 3,000 the number of homes Israel has approved for construction in east Jerusalem and the West Bank since the renewal of peace talks late last year.

Some 180,000 Jews live in various neighborhoods of east Jerusalem out of total population of nearly 500,000 Jews in the city; 250,000 Arabs live in east Jerusalem.

According to a 2000 peace proposal put forward by former US president Bill Clinton and rejected by PA chairman Yasser Arafat, Jerusalem's Jewish neighborhoods would remain under Israeli control, while Arab sections would be part of a future Palestinian state.

Privately, Palestinians concede that Israel will retain Jewish neighborhoods of east Jerusalem as part of a final peace agreement, but contend that the current building there severely hampers peace talks.

Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai said Sunday it was the government's duty to build in Jerusalem and its surrounding areas.

"The government is permitted to decide to build according to need, and exactly as the French government builds in Paris and the US government builds in Washington," he told Israel Radio.

"If we place restrictions on construction around Jerusalem, we will eventually also need a special approval to build in Tel Aviv," Yishai said.

Palestijnse veiligheidstroepen in Jenin bestrijden de terreur niet

De politie- en veiligheidstroepenmacht in Ramallah, Jenin en Nablus treedt niet op tegen terroristen, en als men al terroristen oppakt worden zij binnen enkele dagen, soms zelfs uren, weer vrijgelaten. Bovendien hebben Hamas en Islamitische Jihad de politie geinfiltreerd en vinden de door de VS geleverde wapens hun weg nu naar deze organisaties.

 

Om heel eerlijk te zijn verbaast dit me niet echt. Ik heb al eerder gewezen op het probleem van terrorismebestrijding door de Palestijnse politie/veiligheidstroepen. Zij hebben immers het gevoel dat zij tegen hun eigen 'vrijheidsstrijders' vechten en Israëls zaken opknappen. Enquetes geven steevast aan dat een meerderheid van de Palestijnen achter aanslagen op Israëlische burgers staat, en in de media worden deze mensen als helden en martelaren afgeschilderd. Bovendien hebben een aantal gezochte Palestijnen uit de gewapende tak van Fatah - de Al Aqsa Martelaren Brigades - amnesty gekregen en werken zij nu voor de Palestijnse Autoriteit. 

Zolang binnen de Palestijnse maatschappij geweld tegen Israël verheerlijkt wordt en het gematigde leiderschap aanslagen hooguit om taktische redenen afkeurt ('slecht voor de Palestijnse zaak'), zal de politie niet harder tegen ditzelfde geweld gaan optreden.  

 

Ratna

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IDF: Jenin forces not fighting terror

 

Jun. 15, 2008

Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST
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Hours after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Jerusalem on Sunday, top defense officials and IDF officers slammed a recently-launched US initiative, under which Palestinian soldiers have deployed in Nablus and Jenin.

According to the officials, terrorist activity has increased in Ramallah since some 600 Palestinian soldiers were allowed to deploy in the West Bank city last month.
On Sunday morning, a 20-kilogram explosive device detonated next to an Israeli military force operating in the city without causing any casualties.
Sources in the IDF Central Command said that the large bomb was set off by an advanced detonation system.

"The PA forces in the city are not combating the terrorists," one source said. "They are taking action to enforce law and order but they are doing nothing about terror which has grown in the past month since they deployed in Jenin."

The 600 PA soldiers, who underwent training by US defense contractors in Jordan, deployed in Jenin in May. Israel gave its consent for the deployment in March ahead of a meeting between Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Rice and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad. Barak at the time approved the deployment as part of Israeli efforts to bolster Fayad and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

Another defense official said that even those terror suspects that were arrested by the PA forces were usually released days or even hours later.
"There is no effective judicial system in the city," the official said.

A top officer in the Central Command also warned that weapons the US was providing to the PA forces were finding their way to Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists in Jenin as well as in Nablus, where 3,000 PA policemen and soldiers have deployed over the past year. In addition, terrorists have infiltrated the PA police and military ranks, he said.

The training of the force in Jenin and Nablus has been overseen by Lt.-Gen. Keith Dayton, the US Security Coordinator to Israel and the PA. Dayton has overseen the deployment in Nablus up close and was also involved in the recent deployment of PA forces in Jenin.

 

Levering van goederen aan de Gazastrook sinds 27 februari 2008

Hieronder een lijst van goederen die sinds eind februari de Gazastrook binnen zijn gekomen.

Deel dit door 1,2 miljoen en je weet hoeveel brandstof, voedsel en andere zaken er gemiddeld per persoon beschikbaar waren. Hou er rekening mee dat Hamas niet alles per definitie eerlijk heeft verdeeld, brandstof uit ziekenhuizen heeft gejat en zich hulpgoederen toegeëigend. Daarnaast wordt er in Gaza zelf ook voedsel geproduceerd.

 

-------------------------------------

13 Jun 2008
Ministry of Defense
Unit of Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT)

 

Total (June 16, 2007 - June 13, 2008):
24,358 trucks; 571,852 tons

"No humanitarian crisis and no hunger in the Gaza Strip"


The Unit for Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories reports daily on the general humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. The data for the supplies transferred via the Karni and Sufa crossings is based on the reports of Palestinian merchants.

Two-way traffic at the Erez Crossing of international organizations' staff, patients seeking medical treatment and people accompanying them ("medical evacuations"), and Palestinian civilians  has been permitted for humanitarian and medical aid since 18 January 2007 and occurs almost daily.
Via the conveyor at the Karni Crossing, hundreds of tons of grain - wheat, barley, soy beans, corn and animal feed - are transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip every week.

Via the Nahal Oz fuel depot, diesel fuel for transportation and the local Gaza power station, petrol, and gas for cooking and heating are transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip, according to an assessment of civilian needs mandated by the Israeli court.

Via the Sufa Crossing, the following supplies are transferred by truck from Israel to the Gaza Strip: food, including: baby formula and food, rice and legumes, fruits and vegetables, meat, chicken and fish, dairy products, flour and yeast, oil, salt and sugar; hygiene products; raw materials for essential infrastructures; medicines and medical equipment; and a myriad of other items - ranging from school books to wheel chairs - needed by the civilian population.

 

The Kerem Shalom Crossing has been closed since 19 April 2008, due to terrorist attacks directed at it.

June 13, 2008
51 trucks carrying mostly food products were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip via the Sufa crossing.

Via the Nahal Oz crossing, 510,000 liters of diesel fuel for the power station, 130,000 liters of diesel fuel for transportation, and 173 tons of gas were delivered.
In addition, 55 people (patients and their companions) crossed into Israel via Erez crossing for medical treatment.
June 11, 2008
38 trucks carrying fruit and vegetables and other food products as well as materials for humanitarian infrastructure were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip via the Sufa crossing.
In addition, 54 people (patients and their companions) crossed into Israel via Erez crossing for medical treatment.
June 10, 2008
59 trucks carrying food, materials needed for infrastructures, and medications were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip via the Sufa crossing. 24 trucks carrying 888 tons of grain were transferred via the Karni crossing. Via the Nahal Oz crossing, 280,000 liters of diesel fuel for the power station, 100,000 liters of diesel fuel for transportation, and 88 tons of gas were delivered.
In addition, 66 people (patients and their companions) crossed into Israel via Erez crossing for medical treatment.
June 8, 2008
521,800 liters of fuel and 84 tons of heating gas were transported via the Nahal Oz terminal.
In addition, 10 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip via the Erez crossing for medical treatment.
June 4, 2008
50 trucks carrying food and hygiene products were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing. 64 trucks carrying 2,409 tons of wheat, corn, soy beans and animal feed were transferred via the Karni crossing.
Cooking gas was transferred via the Nahal Oz fuel depot.
In addition, 17 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip via the Erez crossing for medical treatment.
June 4, 2008
Medical evacuation: A Palestinian worker was critically wounded by a mortar bomb fired by Palestinian terrorists towards the Nahal Oz fuel depot. He was rushed to hospital in Gaza City. Due to the critical wounds the worker suffered and the deterioration of his condition, an urgent request was forwarded to the Israeli Coordination & Liaison Administration at the Erez crossing, to refer the wounded man for further treatment in Israel.
Colonel Nir Press, Head of Israel's Coordination and Liaison Administration at Erez Crossing, approved the evacuation to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon as per the request. Co. Press stated that evening: "The attack earlier today caused the casualty of one Palestinian, and ultimately forced the early cessation of pumping of fuel and gas. The Hamas campaign against the Gaza Strip crossings primarily inflicts suffering on the people of the Gaza Strip."
June 3, 2008
60 trucks carrying food, and raw materials for essential infrastructures were transferred to the Gaza  Strip via Sufa crossing.

At the Nahal Oz fuel depot, 261 tons of gas and 1.124 million liters of fuel for transportation and electricity were transferred.
In addition, 32 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel for medical treatment.
June 2, 2008
64 trucks carrying rice, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, dairy and other food products, and raw materials for essential infrastructures were transferred to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing. 71 trucks carrying 2,577 tons of wheat, soy beans, corn and animal feed were transferred via the Karni grain depot.

At the Nahal Oz fuel depot, 260,410 liters of fuel for transportation and 732,400 liters of fuel for the power station, and 210 tons of heating and cooking gas were transferred to the Gaza Strip.
In addition, 13 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel via the Erez crossing for medical treatment.
June 1, 2008
30 trucks carrying vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, dairy and other food products, medications and medical equipment, and raw materials for essential infrastructures were transferred to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing.

64 trucks carrying 2,500 tons of wheat, soy beans, corn and animal feed were transferred via the Karni grain depot. At the Nahal Oz fuel depot, 1.038 million liters of fuels and 262 tons of gas were transferred to the Gaza Strip.
In addition, 29 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel via the Erez crossing for medical treatment.
May 28, 2008
71 trucks carrying 2,610 tons of wheat, soy and animal feed were transferred to the Gaza Strip via the Karni conveyor.

Via the Nahal Oz depot, 110 tons of cooking and heating gas were transferred.

This week, 70,030 liters of petrol (out of 75,400 allocated), 693,450 liters of transportation fuel (out of 800,000) and 2,097,400 (out of 2,200,000) liters of diesel fuel for the power station were transferred.
In addition, 87 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel on May 28 for medical treatment.
May 27, 2008
62 trucks carrying 1,260 tons of wheat, 72 tons of barley and 900 tons of animal feed were transferred to the Gaza Strip via the Karni grain depot. 72 trucks with food, hygiene products, medicines and supplies for essential infrastructures were transferred to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing. Via the Nahal Oz fuel depot, 70,030 liters of petrol, 253 tons of gas, 155,000 liters of fuel for transportation and 736,200 liters of fuel for the power station were transferred.
In addition, eight people crossed into Israel for medical treatment.
May 26, 2008
66 trucks carrying baby food, agricultural produce and equipment, meat/chicken/fish, dairy products and other food, medicines, and supplies for essential infrastructures were transferred to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing. 170 tons of gas and 1.01 million liters of diesel fuel were transferred via Nahal Oz.
In addition, 27 people (patients and their companions) crossed into Israel for medical treatment.
May 25, 2008
75 truckloads (2690 tons) of wheat, barley, corn, soy, sesame seeds and animal feed were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip via the Karni grain depot.

66 truckloads of agriculture produce, meat/chicken/fish, dairy products, other food, supplies for essential infrastructures and medical equipment were transferred via Sufa crossing.

245 tons of gas, 270,420 liters of fuel for transportation and 619,200 liters of fuel for the power station were transferred via the Nahal Oz depot.
May 23, 2008
During the week 18-23 May, 300,000 liters of fuel were transferred via the Nahal Oz depot into the Gaza Strip for the use of UNWRA.

43,010 liters of gasoline and 159 tons of gas were transferred; 1,116,830 liters of fuel for transportation, more than the 800,000 liters allocated, and 2,177,200 liters of fuel out of the 2,200,000 liters allocated for the power station were transferred.
May 22, 2008
The truck bomb attack on the Erez crossing prevented 31 Palestinians from receiving medical treatment in Israel.
May 14, 2008
59 trucks with food, medical supplies, and agricultural produce and equipment were transferred to the Gaza Strip via the Sufa crossing point.

88 tons of gas and 469,000 liters of diesel fuel were transferred via the Nahal Oz depot.

From May 11 to May 16, 1.957 million liters of fuel for power plants were transferred, out of the 2.2 million liters allocated weekly.
In addition, 36 people (patients and companions) crossed from the Gaza Strip into Israel for medical treatment.
May 13, 2008
65 humanitarian aid trucks carrying baby food, agricultural produce, meat & fish, hygienic products, milk products, salt & sugar, medical equipment and medicines, oil, flour and yeast were transferred to the Gaza Strip via the Sufa crossing point.
In addition, 65 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip for medical treatment via Erez crossing.
May 12-13, 2008
81,000 liters of fuel for transportation and 1.488 million liters of diesel fuel for power plants were transferred via the Nahal Oz crossing.
May 12, 2008
71 truckloads of humanitarian aid (food, hygiene products, tools and raw materials for infrastructures) were transferred via the Sufa crossing. Eleven tankers (242 tons) of gas for heating and cooking were transferred via the Nahal Oz depot.
In addition, 49 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip for medical treatment.
May 11, 2008
69 humanitarian aid trucks carrying wheelchairs, walking sticks, additional medical equipment, food supplies and camping equipment were transferred to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing point.
In addition, 83 people (patients and companions) crossed from the Gaza Strip into Israel for medical treatment.
May 4-9, 2008
2,407,000 liters of fuel (petrol and diesel) were transferred to the Gaza Strip via Nahal Oz fuel depot.
May 4, 2008
70 humanitarian aid trucks carrying  vaccines, electric wires, hygiene and food products and other materials were transferred to the Gaza Strip via the Sufa crossing point; 27 trucks carrying grains and coffee were transferred via the Karni crossing; 120 tons (5 tankers) of heating gas and 560,000 liters (11 tankers) of fuel were transferred via the Nahal Oz crossing.
In addition, 57 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel from Gaza for medical treatment.
April 30, 2008
Approximately 64 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via Sufa crossing. The assistance was organized with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.
The following is a list of supplies transferred: diapers, fruit, meat, flour, corn, oil, cocoa powder, dairy products, sugar, toilet paper, garlic, fish, ful, carrots, nylon bags, reproductive eggs, cleaning products and medical equipment.
April 23, 2008
Approximately 85 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via Sufa crossing. In addition, 1 million liters of fuel were transferred via Nahal-Oz. The assistance was organized with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.
The following is a list of supplies transferred through Sufa crossing: oil, paper, meat, nylon bags used for greenhouses, rice, fruit, juice, sugar, milk, dairy products, flour, washing powder, salt, cleaning products, medical equipment, fish, fuel, disposable dishes, pasta, conserves, vegetables and humus.
April 17, 2008
Approximately 27 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom crossing before it was forced to close due to the attack on the crossing. Supplies transferred through the Kerem Shalom crossing: oil, paper, meat, nylon bags used for greenhouses, rice, fruit and halva.
In addition, 800,000 liters of diesel fuel for heating and 240,000 tons of gas were transferred via Nahal Oz, which also closed during the afternoon after Palestinian snipers fired at the crossing.
April 16, 2008
Approximately 95 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
59 trucks trough the Sufa Crossing containing: cleaning products, rice, dairy products, fruit, sugar, humus, meat, spices, flour, salt, garlic, fish, starch, hypochlorite, fennel, pea, pasta, hatching eggs and disposable plates.
36 trucks, including 11 trucks of Egyptian donation through the Kerem Shalom crossing containing: oil, paper, single-use dishes, medical equipment, diapers, preservatives, nylon bags, gloves, drip irrigation system, pipes and pads.
The supply of diesel fuel for the Gaza power plant and cooking gas was resumed at 14:30 through the Nahal Oz fuel terminal.
The fuel depot is 70% full (188,000 liters of gasoline and 820,000 liters of diesel fuel). The Palestinians in Gaza have refrained for the last two weeks from providing this available fuel to the Palestinian people.
April 15, 2008
Approximately 100 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
67 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: drippers, seeds, cleaning products, rice, sugar, meat, flour, salt, fruit, carrots, garlic, corn, pasta, fruit, humus, eggs, cinnamon, fish and cloth.
33 trucks through the Kerem Shalom crossing containing: medications, mushrooms, bandages, bottles, cloths, diapers, canned food, oil, toilet paper, timber and cable clips.
April 14, 2008
Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the renewal of diesel shipments to Gaza's power station. Only the minimal amount required to maintain the station's operations, determined in the past, will be transferred. Israel will also allow shipments of cooking gas. At this stage, gasoline and diesel
fuel will not be supplied for transportation needs. The supply of fuel will begin on Wednesday, April 16, after the completion of security arrangements between the IDF and Dor Energy.
Approximately 123 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom, Karni and Sufa Crossings:
54 trucks trough the Sufa Crossing containing: medications, cleaning products, rice, sugar, meat, dairy products, washing powder, flour, salt, fruit, carrots, halva, starch, eggs, cinnamon, yeast, fish and cloth.
51 trucks through the Karni crossing containing: wheat, barley, soy, lentils and sesame.
18 trucks through the Kerem Shalom crossing containing: medical equipment, medications, electrical equipment, conserves, paper, nylon, diapers, toilet paper, oil, wood for greenhouses, pumps and drip irrigation system.
April 13, 2008
87 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings. The supplies included rice, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, other food stuffs, and hygiene products.
In addition, 71 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip for medical treatment via Erez crossing.
April 9, 2008
Approximately 95 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
55 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: salt, carrot, fruit, rice, sugar, spices, dairy products, meat, flour, garlic, fish, pasta, frozen vegetables, coffee, cleaning products, hatching eggs.
30 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: oil, rice, medical equipments, diapers, cleaning products, toilet paper, shampoo and soap.
10 trucks donated by Egypt, through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: flour and sugar.
April 8, 2008
Approximately 90 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
61 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: baby formula, salt, rice, fruit, flour, dairy products, sugar, garlic, carrots, milk powder, frozen vegetables, cardamon, eggs, fish, food additives, humus and tea.
29 trucks through the Karni Crossing containing: medicine and medical equipment, boiler for a hospital, oil, nylon bags, cleaning products, yeast, shampoo, toilet paper, halva and tehina.
In addition, 655,000 liters (13 tankers) of fuel and 282 tons of heating gas (11 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
April 7, 2008
Approximately 128 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni Crossings:
56 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: salt, tea, garlic, sugar, carrot, apples, dairy products, meat, fish, hatching eggs, animal vitamins.
40 trucks through the Karni Crossing containing: wheat, cumin, sesame, coriander, barley.
32 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: soy, yeast, salt, cleaning products, toilet paper, soap, hair shampoo & conditioner.
In addition, 650,000 liters (13 tankers) of fuels and 176 tons of heating gas (8 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
April 6, 2008
Approximately 76 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
60 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: books, baby kits, food kits, fruit, rice, oil, meat, milk, flour, red pepper, eggs and tea.
16 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: wheel chairs, sugar, flour and other basic food products.
In addition, 705,000 liters (15 tankers) of fuels and 177 tons of heating gas (7 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
April 3, 2008
Approximately 100 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
63 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: fruit, rice, sugar, dairy products, meat, fish, flour, garlic, medicine, cocoa powder, carrot, yeast, hatching eggs.
37 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: rice, sugar, coffee, oil, flour, pasta, tea, toilet paper, cleaning products, diapers, medicine.
April 2, 2008
Approximately 111 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni Crossings:
59 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: fruit, rice, sugar, dairy products, garlic, meat, flour, paper, medicine, salt, meat preservatives, cocoa powder, fish, pasta and yeast.
27 trucks through the Karni Crossing containing: wheat and construction materials.
25 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: school equipment, shampoo, toilet paper, washing powder, soap, diapers, oil, rice and wet wipes.
April 1, 2008
Approximately 138 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni Crossings:
51 trucks through the Karni Crossing containing: wheat, sesame, corn, coffee, soy.
56 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: fruit, rice, sugar, dairy products, meat, fish, flour, carrot, garlic, pasta, cleaning products, school books.
18 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: soap, rice, meat, oil, sugar, coffee, animal vitamins.
13 trucks donated by Egypt, through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing rice and sugar.
In addition, 746,000 liters (15 tankers) of fuel and 273 tons of heating gas (11 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 30, 2008
Approximately 78 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
57 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: powdered milk, dairy products, sugar, cleaning products, washing powder, fruit, rice, fish, meat, flour, coffee, vitamins, carrots, garlic and reproduction eggs.
21 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: washing powder, cleaning products, oil, nylon, plastic bags, diapers, hygiene products, jam, shampoo and medicine.
In addition, 687,000 liters (15 tankers) of fuel and 300 tons of heating gas (12 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 28, 2008
A total of 502 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel were transported.
Sufa Crossing - 18 trucks were unloaded.
Kerem Shalom Crossing - 24 trucks were unloaded.
March 26, 2008
139 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today:
43 trucks via the Karni crossing grain conveyor carrying 1,548 tons of wheat, barley, corn, soy and animal feed.
64  trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: sugar, powdered milk, bananas, dairy products, meat/fish, fruit, carrots, salt, coffee, flour, rice, garlic, frozen vegetables, medical equipment.
22 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: oil, pasta, rice, sugar, coffee, ketchup, mayonnaise, soap, diapers, shampoo, toilet paper.
691,000 liters (15 tankers) of fuel and 282 tons of heating gas (11 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
In addition, 86 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel for medical treatment via the Erez crossing.
March 25, 2008
Approximately 149 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni Crossings:
26 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and 49 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: cocoa, powered milk, jam, oil, peas, tissue, diapers, toilet paper, medical supplies.
65 trucks through the Karni Crossing containing: wheat, corn, sesame, grains.
58 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: dairy products, sugar, fruit, meat, rice, flour, oil, carrots, pasta, garlic, fish, reproduction eggs, salt, tea, medical supplies, ketchup, vegetables.
In addition, 668,000 liters (14 tankers) of fuel and 356 tons of heating gas (12 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 24, 2008
Approximately 164 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni Crossings:
37 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and 49 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: rice, fruit, fish, meat, chicken, dairy products, salt, sugar, flour, oil, medicine.
5 trucks donated by Egypt, through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: flour and rice.
73 trucks through the Karni Crossing containing: wheat, corn, sesame, grains.
In addition, 651,000 liters (14 tankers) of fuel and 326 tons of heating gas (11 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 23, 2008
Approximately 74 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
24 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: reproduction eggs, frozen vegetables, dairy products, fish, meat, beans, halvah, toilet paper, and diapers.
50 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: coffee, rice, flour, salt, sugar, peas, fruit, and oil.
March 20, 2008
Approximately 112 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom and Karni Crossings:
45 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing toilet paper, medical supplies, electronic supplies, oil, meat, frozen vegetables, flour, and fruit.
67 trucks through the Karni Crossing containing wheat and corn.
March 19, 2008
Approximately 39 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: diapers, toilet paper, medical supplies, oil, pasta, fish, meat, frozen vegetables, rice and tea.
March 18, 2008
A total of 3,401 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel were transported.
79 trucks through the Karni Crossing conveyer containing: wheat, corn and animal feed.
Kerem Shalom Crossing - 34 trucks were unloaded.
In addition, 635,000 liters (14 tankers) of fuel and 242 tons of heating gas (12 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 17, 2008
Approximately 147 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni Crossings:
55 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: meat, fruit, sugar, diapers, flour, peas, oil, carrot, coffee, fish, rice, garlic.
64 trucks through the Karni Crossing containing: wheat, grains, sesame, corn, barley.
8 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: diapers, toilet paper, tea, soup, medication, blankets and 20 trucks of food donated by Egypt.
March 16, 2008
Approximately 65 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
11 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: toilet paper and diapers.
54 trucks through the Sufa Crossing containing: sugar, flour, salt, fruit, powdered milk, hatching eggs, cocoa, ketchup, mayonnaise, & food preservatives.
In addition, 679,000 liters (15 tankers) of fuels and 334 tons of heating gas (12 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 14, 2008
20 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies with a total weight of 301 tons were transferred into the Gaza Strip today via the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: vitamins, diapers, toilet paper, fruit, oil, frozen meat, tea, coffee, powdered milk, hatching eggs, corn, pasta, carrots and tahini.
March 13, 2008
Approximately 152 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni Crossings:
59 trucks through Sufa Crossing containing: meat, fruit, sugar, bananas, flour, coffee, garlic, oil, pasta, carrots.
73 trucks through the Karni Crossing conveyer containing: wheat, grains, barley.
20 trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: diapers, pasta, tea, oil, toilet paper, fish, medicine, meat preservatives.
March 12, 2008
A total of 1,567 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel were transported.
Sufa Crossing - 54 trucks were unloaded.
Kerem Shalom Crossing - 22 trucks were unloaded.
In addition, 640,000 liters (14 tankers) of fuel and 248 tons of heating gas (14 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 11, 2008
A total of 3,877 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel were transported.
Sufa Crossing - 72 trucks were unloaded.
Kerem Shalom Crossing - 21 trucks were unloaded.
Karni Crossing conveyer - 61 trucks were unloaded (2,800 tons of wheat, legumes, corn and animal feed)
In addition, 695,000 liters (15 tankers) of fuel and 320 tons of heating gas (12 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 10, 2008
A total of 3,810 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel were transported.
Sufa Crossing - 59 trucks were unloaded.
Kerem Shalom Crossing - 5 trucks were unloaded.
Karni Crossing conveyer - 81 trucks were unloaded (2,800 tons of wheat, legumes, sesame seeds, corn and animal feed)
In addition, 695,000 liters (15 tankers) of fuel and 320 tons of heating gas (12 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 9, 2008
A total of 1,248 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel were transported.
Sufa Crossing - 55 trucks were unloaded.
Kerem Shalom Crossing - 23 trucks were unloaded.
In addition, 681,000 liters (15 tankers) of fuel and 272 tons of heating gas (13 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 7, 2008
A total of 906 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel were transported.
Sufa Crossing - 30 trucks were unloaded.
Kerem Shalom Crossing - 8 trucks were unloaded.
In addition, 225 tons of heating gas (10 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 6, 2008
About 160 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies are being transferred into the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom, Karni and Sufa Crossings.
63 trucks passed through Sufa Crossing containing: flour, fruit, sugar, cooking oil, frozen meat and fish.
19 trucks (donated by Egypt) passed through Kerem Shalom Crossing containing: rice, sugar, oil and dairy products.
Approximately 80 trucks passed through the Karni Crossing containing grain.
March 5, 2008
About 70 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom and Sufa Crossings:
63 trucks passed through the Sufa Crossing containing: fruit, sugar, humus, flour, coffee, baby formula and oxygen masks.
6 trucks passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing containing: oil, flour, beans and tomato sauce.
In addition, 25 Palestinians entered Israel for medical treatment in Israeli hospitals.
March 4, 2008
About 160 trucks of humanitarian aid and supplies were transferred into the Gaza Strip via the Karni and Sufa crossings, as well as the reopened Kerem Shalom crossing.
Sufa Crossing:
12 trucks of medicines and medical supplies (including one UNRWA truck)
9 trucks of meat, fish and frozen vegetables
8 trucks of fruit
7 trucks of flour, oil and sugar
5 trucks of dairy products
18 trucks of flour, oil and humus donated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Kerem Shalom Crossing:
8 trucks of sugar
2 trucks of rice
4 trucks of oil
4 trucks of rice and oil
4 trucks of rice and sugar
Karni Crossing:
80 trucks of grain
March 3, 2008
A total of 4,073 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel were transported.
Sufa Crossing - 60 trucks were unloaded.
Karni Crossing conveyer - 76 trucks were unloaded (2,700 tons of wheat and animal feed)
In addition, 1,014 liters (21 tankers) of fuels and  300 tons of heating gas (7 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
March 2, 2008
A total of 1,152 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel were transported.
Sufa Crossing - 55 trucks were unloaded.
In addition, 918,000 liters (19 tankers) of fuel and 169 tons of heating gas (7 tankers) were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
Feb 29, 2008
400,000 liters (18 tankers) of fuels were transported through the Nahal Oz Crossing.
Feb 27, 2008
A total of 3,924 tons of humanitarian aid and supplies were transported.
Sufa Crossing - 60 trucks were unloaded.
Karni Crossing conveyer - 73 trucks were unloaded (2,600 tons of wheat and animal feed)


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IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

Een belediging van de Verenigde Naties

Ook als je het niet met ieder woord in onderstaand artikel eens bent, moge duidelijk zijn dat er iets mis is met de VN mensenrechtenraad. Als je de regels van het spel laat bepalen en controleren door dictaturen als Cuba, Egypte, Pakistan, Soedan, Iran en China, dan kun je natuurlijk ook niet verwachten dat de uitkomst ook maar in de verste verte met rechtvaardigheid en mensenrechten te maken heeft.

 

Ratna

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http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0608/tobin061108.php3

UNRWA and NGOs: the Real U.N. 'Insult'

 

By Jonathan S. Tobin

June 12, 2008

 

Reprimand as a badge of honor

 

 

Last week, the United Nations Committee on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) met in New York to consider what was for them an important issue: redeeming the tarnished honor of their organization from the "insults" of its critics.

 

The object of their concern was the World Union of Progressive Judaism, the Reform movement's international arm, which has had observer NGO status at the world body since 1972.  It now stands liable to lose its U. N. status for "insulting" the world body.

 

This committee is comprised of such exemplary democracies as China, Cuba, Pakistan and Egypt as well as other countries.  The current chair of the group is Sudan.  Despite the fact that its government is responsible for genocide in Darfur, Sudan still parades around international forums as if it were not a pariah regime.

 

What did the Reform movement do to put itself in such hot water?  At a recent meeting of the U.N.'s Human Rights Council in Geneva, David Littman, a representative of Reform attempted to read from the Hamas charter calling for Israel's destruction.

 

The meeting was being used as a forum by countries hostile to Israel to indict it for "military incursions" whose purpose is to defend the Jewish State against Palestinian terrorists.  By reading the Hamas document, the hope was that the world might see what it was that Israel was up against.  But instead of allowing this information to be heard, Littman was silenced.  In response, Littman replied that "something is rotten in the state of this council."

 

Never have truer words been spoken.

 

This incident and the attempted retribution against the Reform movement sums up in a nutshell the insanity that is the U.N.

 

The real insult is not Littman's truth-telling but the record of calumnies that have been heaped upon Israel and the Jewish State at U. N. forums such as the Human Rights Council.  To this council, murder of Jewish civilians by terrorists whose goal is to eradicate a U. N.-member state is treated as inconsequential.  Instead, it uses its resources to delegitimize Israel's right of self-defense.

 

At the same time that this was going on, the U.N. continues to fund an entire organization whose purpose is to perpetuate the Arab war against Israel: the United Nations Relief Works Agency or UNRWA.

 

The U.N. has two organizations, one which aids all refugees around the world, and a second which is devoted solely to the cause of those Palestinians who fled the State of Israel during its War of Independence, as a result of the Arab war launched to eradicate the state at birth.  But rather than seeking to resettle these refugees,UNRWA is an impediment to any hope for peace.

 

As a recent report issued by the Herzliya-based Global Research in International Affairs details, UNRWA's scandalous policies include doing everything to prevent resettlement of the refugees out of the "refugee camps." UNRWA's schools are places where anti-American and anti-Semitic indoctrination is business as usual and virtual recruiting offices for terror groups.  Its facilities are virtual military bases for those groups.

 

That all this goes on not only under the authority of the U.N. but at the expense of U.S. taxpayers (who fund much of the U.N.'s activities) is outrageous.

 

It is the U.N. as a whole and UNRWA in particular that is the insult to the honor of the organization.  Reform can only begin with UNRWA's dissolution, which is a course of action that should be at the top of Washington's Middle East priority list.

 

But pending that outcome, we will have to content ourselves with saluting Littman for speaking the truth.  His "insult" may earn this group a U.N. reprimand but, if so, it is one that should be worn as a badge of honor.

 

 

Jonathan S. Tobin is executive editor of the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia.  He can be contacted via e-mail at: jtobin@jewishexponent.com.